Event Coverage
Pro Kabaddi League wins ‘Best Sports League of the Year’ at CII Sports Business Awards 2024
New Delhi: Mashal Sports, the organisers of Pro Kabaddi League (PKL), announced that PKL has been honoured with the ‘Best Sports League of the Year’ award at CII Sports Business Awards 2024.
The award ceremony was held as part of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Score Card 2024 event in New Delhi on Friday, 18 October, which was also the day that the 11th edition of the PKL took flight.
Pro Kabaddi League league commissioner Anupam Goswami expressed his excitement about the award, “We are thrilled to receive this recognition from CII. This award is a testament to the hard work and dedication of everyone involved in making Pro Kabaddi League a resounding success since its inception in 2014. As we look to the future, we are committed to taking PKL to even greater heights, further popularizing kabaddi and contributing to India’s vision of becoming a global sporting powerhouse.”
Pro Kabaddi League director Charu Sharma added by saying, “India’s unique heritage sport – which went international many decades ago – has catapulted into a highly visible, reputed, professional league 10 years ago thanks to the PKL. The story of Kabaddi is truly fascinating. I am delighted that India’s premier corporate agency, the CII, has appreciated the extreme attention Mashal Sports showers on good governance, earning the PKL respect and sustainability. Winning CII’s award for ‘Best Sports League of the Year at the Sports Business Awards is a truly gratifying recognition of all the hard work contributed by the entire Mashal Sports team, led by Anupam Goswami.”
Event Coverage
Anime India announces Amazon MX Player as co-presenting partner for Anime India Kolkata 2026
MUMBAI: Riding high on the success of its blockbuster Mumbai debut, Anime India is accelerating its nationwide expansion with the announcement of Amazon MX Player as the co-presenting partner for Anime India Kolkata. The partnership marks a significant step forward in the festival’s mission to deliver large-scale, accessible, and fan-first anime experiences across the country.
Scheduled for 14 and 15 February 2026 at the iconic Biswa Bangla Mela Prangan, Anime India Kolkata will launch the first regional chapter of what is set to be a year-long, multi-city tour. As the curtain-raiser for the 2026 circuit, the Kolkata edition aims to fuse the energy of global Japanese pop culture with India’s fast-growing community of anime, manga, and pop-culture fans.
A household name in digital entertainment, Amazon MX Player brings unmatched reach and cultural relevance to the Anime India platform. With its expanding focus on anime and youth-driven content, Amazon MX Player’s involvement as co-presenting partner reinforces Anime India’s vision of making anime culture more inclusive breaking barriers of language, geography, and accessibility to connect with fans nationwide.
Anime India Kolkata 2026 will showcase cosplay competitions, interactive zones led by the Indian Gunpla Community, India-39 Vocaloid Community, The Japan Curry, and Adda-o-Otaku by The Otaku Guild. Fans can join tournaments across fighting games, Pokémon VGC, and more. Acclaimed Japanese director Susumu Mitsunaka (Haikyu!!) will attend as guest of honour, appearing in panels and live sessions. Positioned as an immersive celebration of fan culture and industry collaboration, the Kolkata edition marks the beginning of Anime India’s nationwide expansion.
Sharing their perspective on the partnership, Amazon MX Player director Aruna Daryanani expressed, “Anime in India has evolved from a niche interest into a mainstream cultural movement, driven by an increasingly engaged and passionate fanbase. At Amazon MX Player, our focus is on expanding access by bringing anime to audiences across the country for free and in multiple local languages. Our association with Anime India reflects our commitment to supporting the growth of anime in India and deepening connections with fans, while continuing to build Amazon MX Player as a trusted destination for free, high-quality entertainment.”
“Anime India Kolkata is a celebration of how anime has grown beyond entertainment into a powerful cultural and creative force. By bringing fans, creators, and industry leaders onto one shared platform, the festival is helping define the future of pop culture in India,” said Anime India co-founder and director Neha Mehta.
The debut edition of Anime India 2025 in Mumbai attracted over 29,000 fans, quickly cementing its status as a landmark celebration of anime and Japanese pop culture. Riding on this overwhelming response, the Kolkata chapter is projected to draw more than 40,000 visitors across two days, positioning it as one of the biggest anime conventions ever held in eastern India.
Anime India is focused on bringing together fans from across the country to create a truly pan-India celebration of anime, manga, cosplay, gaming, and Japanese culture. With plans to expand into four key metropolitan hubs in 2026—east (Kolkata), north (Delhi), west (Mumbai), and south (Hyderabad)—the festival seeks to deliver globally benchmarked experiences while supporting and uplifting creators, artists, and fan communities throughout India.
